JMMM 104-107 (1992) 1679-1683

Invited paper

Magnetic surface anisotropy

George T. Rado

Selected aspects of magnetic surface anisotropy are reviewed. The emphasis 
is on methods for deducing reliable surface anisotropy values from 
experiments such as ferromagnetic resonance at microwave frequencies and 
Brillouin scattering at optical frequencies. The methods used are "general 
exchange boundary condition method" and the "effective volume anisotropy 
method". The essence of the former is the supplementing of the equation of 
motion of the magnetization with the general exchange boundary condition 
whereas the latter consist of using the "stratagem" of effective volume 
anisotropy. We find that use of the general exhange boundary condition 
method is not only preferable in principle but often actually necessary to 
prevent the prediction of wrong surface anisotropy values and to permit 
prediction of some observable Brillouin shifts.